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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136370">11:59 PM</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoralChimaera/pseuds/CoralChimaera'>CoralChimaera</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals - Team Starkid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AUs, F/M, This might hurt a little, haha no, lex had more powers than just reaching into the black and white, unless?, what if</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:22:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,227</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136370</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoralChimaera/pseuds/CoralChimaera</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some strange things are constants.<br/>Lex’s death is one of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lex Foster/Ethan Green</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>11:59 PM</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“9,”</p>
<p>Hannah had a look in her eye no child year old should have. Tom looked tired. The woman that shot Linda looked weary. So did Tom’s sister-in-law and her boyfriend. </p>
<p>All these little survivors, all the broken people that still lived on in this broken world.</p>
<p>“7,”</p>
<p>It occurred to Lex, in those two fateful seconds, that everyone there had seen more than their minds were meant handle. And now, all they could process was the empty numbness. </p>
<p>“5,”</p>
<p>Something flickered in Hannah’s eyes.</p>
<p>“3,”</p>
<p>A terrible look was in her eye, the knowledge of impending doom brimming in her brain yet her body, helpless to stop it.</p>
<p>“1,”</p>
<p>Hannah’s hand shot out to Lex’s wrist, gripping tighter than it ever had before. When she spoke, her voice was desperate. </p>
<p>Like she was saying goodbye.<br/>
“What if tomorrow—“</p>
<p>The light came before the sound, before the searing heat. </p>
<p>And in that split second, Lex shielded her sister’s body as both were incinerated to mere particles at precisely 11:59 PM.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All things considered, Lex was pretty glad she took shop. </p>
<p>She met Ethan there, for one. Mr. Houston was a pretty chill teacher, and didn’t care if she came in late without a note. As long as you didn’t kill yourself with a buzzsaw, Mr. Houston was fine with most things in that class. </p>
<p>The teachers had been using Mr. Houston’s (“Tom” now) personal fridge to store their lunches. Most of the stuff would be rot by now, but things like water bottles and Tom’s extensive first aid kit were worth salvaging. </p>
<p>“I can’t get it,” Tom grunted, shifting on his twisted ankle. “They’ll catch me in seconds. You, though...”</p>
<p>Even after shop was cancelled, they hadn’t entirely put everything away. Sawdust was still piled in the corners, drills still plugged in their sockets.</p>
<p>It was good they didn’t put away though, because a single saw helped fend off a blue eyed, melodious Ethan, who now had the most beautiful voice she’d ever heard.</p>
<p>“Get the fuck away from me!”<br/>
Ethan grinned at her. It was not a nice grin, only blue oozing from the cracks of his teeth. </p>
<p>“C’mon, Lex! Dance with me! Just like in Grease!”</p>
<p>Lex was fast, but Ethan was faster.<br/>
The saw skittered away. </p>
<p>His hand went to her stomach and pulled. </p>
<p>She couldn’t even speak, the pain was so great. Ethan grinned again, and kissed her quick. Something terrible lingered in that kiss, and it must’ve shown on her face, because he smiled, almost tenderly, and laughed at her frozen grimace of pain. </p>
<p>“We’re gonna get to California, babe,” he crooned. “We just need to find Banana first.”</p>
<p>“No,” she forced out. “You’re never gonna get her.”</p>
<p>The day before they came, Hannah begged her not to go to work. “Bad songs. Blood. Apotheosis.” She didn’t listen, attributed it to another bad dream. </p>
<p>When those fuckers ripped out Frank’s throat, she ran. Ran home, where she found Hannah cowering against a wall, rocking and hyperventilating.  </p>
<p>“Bad songs. Blood. Apotheosis,” she chanted. “Webby, Webby, what’s going on?”</p>
<p>Hannah insisted going to the house of a classmate who she trusted, and to Lex’s surprise, Tom opened up the door.</p>
<p>She was snapped from the memory as Ethan laughed again. He cradled her head oh so delicately, and then Lex found she could no longer breathe. </p>
<p>There was only blood, only blood welling in her throat and lungs, and she choked and gargled, thrashing weakly in the floor. </p>
<p>Something was in her mouth, something horribly cold compared to the hot rust spurting from her veins, and suddenly, everything hurt a hell of a lot more. </p>
<p>With crimson gushing from her stomach, blue pouring into her throat, and a song on her lips, Lex died in that classroom at exactly 11:59 PM.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alex burned at the stake and writhed. She died on that pyre at 11:59 PM. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alexandra gargled as water filled her lungs. The sandbag tied to her feet pulled her down, down into the depths of the lake. Alexandra Foster died at 23:59.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Miss Foster was found dead in an alley by a newspaper boy making his rounds. They took her body in, looked at the trauma, and determined she had died via blood loss at approximately 11:59 the previous night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dead. 11:59 PM. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dead. 23:59.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dead. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dead. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dead. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lex woke up in a cold sweat, fingers scrabbling for her phone. The bright blue light declared the time to be 2:46 AM. </p>
<p>“What’s wrong babe?”</p>
<p>She shook her head, wiping away the perspiration on her face. </p>
<p>“I dunno. Weird dreams I’ve been having. Mostly nightmares ‘bout me dying.”</p>
<p>Ethan nodded and yawned, ruffling his hair. </p>
<p>“Well, least you’re not gonna die now. You’re shaking like crazy, holy fuck.”</p>
<p>Ethan rolled over and fluffed his pillow, settling back into the sheets. </p>
<p>Everything was quiet. </p>
<p>Too quiet, as Lex wiped away an errant tear and stifled a sob. </p>
<p>“Hey hey hey? You okay? You don’t gotta cry, it was just a dream,” Ethan soothed, wrapping his arms around her. “S’not real, your dreams are as real as... I don’t fucking know, emotional stability.”</p>
<p>Lex chuckled a little at that, and settled into his embrace, scrubbing her palms against her eyes.</p>
<p>“Guess so.” Her voice cracked at that, and she winced, sniffling again. </p>
<p>“Thanks babe, sorry you had to wake up for this.”</p>
<p>They sat like that for a few gentle moments, then Lex reached over and turned the light out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unknown to either parties, Hannah listened to that conversation and wept. </p>
<p>
  <i>Constants. Sister. Death at daybreak.</i>
</p>
<p>While Lex didn’t receive foresight and guidance from Webby, Lex still had abilities Hannah couldn’t even dream of. </p>
<p>
  <i>Black and White. Sister. Reach.</i>
</p>
<p>Lex also had nightmares every night. They were far from prophetic, Webby explained, but very much real. It wasn’t real in the current world they were in, but Webby admitted there were many realities where she had failed to protect her charge to the best of her ability. </p>
<p>
  <i>One yet many. Death. Inevitable.</i>
</p>
<p>Lex dreamed the lives of other Lexs, and the one, strange constant that always ended their lives. </p>
<p>
  <i>Different yet same. Threads. Sever.</i>
</p>
<p>In her dreams, Lex, or Alexandra, or Miss Foster (occasionally Mrs. Green) always died one minute before the start of the new day. </p>
<p>“Why?” Hannah asked one day.<br/>
This particular reality was a good one, woven and swaddled by arachnid silk. No world ending apocalypses. No monsters. Just the three of them in their house by the beach. </p>
<p>“Why does Lex die before tomorrow comes?”</p>
<p>Sometimes, Lex didn’t die a violent death. Sometimes she got a new family. Sometimes she lived to a ripe old age. But always, no matter what, the time of death would be the same.</p>
<p>The void sighed at her. It was not an angry sigh, just a tired one. </p>
<p>
  <i>Some things even I know not, Hannah.</i>
</p>
<p>Sometimes Lex would wake up screaming, thrashing and shouting stop and please I don’t want to die. Ethan always would calm her, but Hannah could only dread what death Lex had in those realities. </p>
<p>“I know you don’t know!” Hannah once shouted. She shook her fists at the sky, at Webby, at anyone who was listening. </p>
<p>“Why? Why does Lex always die before tomorrow comes?”</p>
<p>But this time, Webby could not answer.</p>
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